4. Chloe
Chapter 4
Chloe
I took a deep breath. This was one of my least favorite parts of the job. But, as Karl reminded me, local PR was essential to our success. Especially given the reputation of the company. So we needed to be here, putting a bright spin on things.
Week one had not gone according to plan. In fact, I was farther behind than I ever thought possible. We were all working around the clock, and I had my accounting and legal teams on Zoom every night, reviewing every detail.
I’d tried more than once to get face time with both the mayor and the chief of police, but they’d brushed me off. And I needed both of them on my side if we were going to make all this work.
So when the mayor’s office called and told me my presence was required at the town meeting tonight, I saw it as an opportunity to put my best foot forward.
My feet were sore and tired, and more than anything, I wanted to sit on my deck and look out at the gorgeous lake with a glass of shiraz in my hand.
But I was the boss, so I had to get shit done.
I squared my shoulders.
“Thank you for coming,” I said to Karl. JJ had stayed back at their cottage, obsessively poring over topography maps.
“Are you kidding? Small-town drama is the best part of this job.” He craned his neck, perusing the various people heading into the school. “And I’ve always got your back. If the townsfolk get their pitchforks and torches, like in Beauty and the Beast ”—he thumped his chest—“I’ll protect you.”
Karl was obsessed. He discussed, quoted, or alluded to Beauty and the Beast multiple times per day.
We’d had many fun drunken nights debating aspects of the film, but there was one detail we agreed on. The beast was way hotter in his animal form. The human underneath? Meh.
We walked into the school. The building had once been a mill but had been converted decades ago. Children’s artwork lined the hallways we traversed on our way to the gymnasium. The large space was filled with row upon row of chairs.
“This is so exciting,” Karl whispered, practically bouncing on his toes. “Ooh, look. There are snacks.”
Sure enough, some brilliant person had dispatched children to sell snacks at a table set up just outside the entrance.
Karl pulled me toward a cherub-cheeked girl with blond pigtails who was scooping popcorn from an old-fashioned machine into red-and-white-striped bags.
“Popcorn?” she asked, her gaze locked on me. “All proceeds go to fund after-school programs.”
“Sure,” Karl said, reaching for his wallet. “I’ll take one.”
The little girl put her hands on her hips and scowled. “Only one? There are two of you. And they’re only five dollars each.”
“Five bucks,” I scoffed. “That’s a lot for popcorn.”
Her blue eyes narrowed. “Inflation,” she quipped. “And it’s for the children.”
Jeez. I respected the negotiation instincts. This kid had more backbone than half the executives I dealt with daily.
“Four,” I countered.
She tossed her head back and laughed. “Nice try, lady. I see your fancy shoes. You can swing it. Then go visit my brother at the lemonade table and make sure to fill up.”
“Goldie,” a blond woman said as she strode toward us. “Hello.” She extended a hand. She was beautiful and had the kind of warm smile that felt like a ray of sunshine. “I’m Alice Gagnon. I’m the principal. Are you new in town?”
With a nod, I took her hand. Gagnon. Of course she had to be related to them. My primary competition.
Introductions were made, and overpriced popcorn was purchased. Then we made our way into the gym, which had basketball hoops folded up into the ceiling and fraying pennants on the walls.
The place was packed with dozens of people milling around.
Karl elbowed me. “Ooh. Look, your Beast is here too.”
I looked across the gymnasium to see Gus standing against the folded-up bleachers, wearing a plaid shirt and his usual scowl. I hadn’t pegged him for the town meeting type, but I supposed there wasn’t much else to do here. I looked away before he caught me staring, and beside me, Karl chuckled.
He squeezed my arm. “No flirting, boss. We’ve got a job to do.”
“I’m not flirting.”
“That was your special super mega death laser glare you shot over at him, so definitely flirting.”
I rolled my eyes and pretended to be fascinated by the assembling crowd.
A projection screen stood against the far wall, an agenda pulled up on it. Huh. I wasn’t sure what most of the items listed meant, but I scanned them all until I saw my name. Wonderful. I had prepared some remarks but hadn’t really expected to have to face the entire town.
Once we’d all found seats, the mayor opened the meeting, and a few items of business were discussed. Murmurs went up around the room when a strikingly tall man walked to the podium. His dark brown hair was shaggy and obscured his eyes, and he carried himself like a teenager, slumped and loping, even though he looked to be pushing thirty.
As he tossed his head to get the hair out of his eyes and cleared his throat, I was hit with a wave of familiarity. Something about those broad shoulders, the shoulders of a lumberjack, made me pause.
That thought had me scanning the room until I found where a certain other lumberjack was standing, his arms crossed.
“I’m Cole Hebert.” The man placed a hand on either side of the podium and leaned down into the microphone.
Holy Shit. This was Gus’s youngest brother.
Wow. I hadn’t thought of him in years. The kid I remembered was a child hockey phenom who traveled back and forth to Canada to play.
And now he was a grown man. Great. As if I needed another reminder of just how old I was.
“As you may know, I’m chair of the RiverFest committee. It’s been fourteen years since our last festival, but we have decided to bring it back this year.”
He clicked through slides, each one loaded with information about committees, plans, and other logistics.
Calmly and slowly, he spoke, even as he wiped his palms against his jeans. If he was nervous, he handled it well. He was massive, and yet there was a boyishness about him that was endearing.
I’d read the arrest report and knew all about the vandalism he’d been caught up in earlier this year, but I could not square the earnest kid in front of me talking about economic development with the petty criminal described in the report.
His presentation was brief, but it was compelling. This town needed revenue and to reestablish itself as a tourist destination. A gateway to the true wilderness. His words and body language conveyed just how passionate he was about it.
“So,” he said, gesturing to a table on one side of the podium. “We have sign-up sheets up here, and we’re in need of people to fill all kinds of volunteer roles. Vendor registration opens next week. We will be prioritizing local vendors but opening up spots to folks from the broader region.”
He cleared his throat and straightened. For the span of a few breaths, he surveyed the room.
Finally, he leaned down once more and spoke into the microphone. “Any questions?”
Immediately dozens of hands went up. I let out a sigh of relief. I may not have to speak after all. We’d been here for forty minutes already, and we hadn’t even made it halfway through the agenda.
While Cole fielded questions like a pro, my attention wandered across the gymnasium to Gus. The bastard couldn’t stay out of my eyeline. He was wearing his usual jeans, boots, and a scowl.
Why he was at a town meeting was beyond me. From what I could tell, he’d turned into the reclusive type, and his social skills left much to be desired.
If I thought I was off the hook, I was quickly proven wrong. The townspeople clearly didn’t have any concerns about going far beyond the allotted meeting time.
So an hour later, I was still sitting in a metal folding chair, my ass numb, when Mayor Lambert got up.
“And now I’d like to invite Ms. Chloe LeBlanc of Strategic Timber to introduce herself.”
With a deep breath in, I stood and smoothed my skirt. As I walked slowly up to the podium, every eye in the room was locked in on me.
Despite being a born-and-bred Mainer, I was an outsider here. I’d been gone so long that I was “from away,” in local parlance. And given the history of Hebert Timber, suspicion was deserved. But I hadn’t considered that dozens of townsfolk would be here tonight, every one of them eerily silent as my heels clicked on the lacquered floor.
As I stepped behind the podium, I smiled weakly and adjusted the microphone. “Good evening,” I said, forcing my chin up and my shoulders back. “I’m Chloe LeBlanc.”
I scanned the crowd and was met with one angry face after another. Oh shit, this was harder than I thought it’d be. I gave a few brief remarks about my company, what we were seeking to do, and how I appreciated the value of the timber industry for this region and this community.
Once I’d gotten through my spiel, I let out a sigh of relief. It had gone more smoothly than I expected. But just as I stepped back from the podium, a man in the crowd stood.
“I’m not taking questions,” I said firmly.
The mayor, ignoring my comment, walked down the aisle between the chairs and handed the man a microphone.
“What are you going to do about the drugs coming in from Canada?” he asked.
I was taken aback by the anger in his tone, but I forced a smile to my face. “We work carefully with law enforcement.”
A woman leaned over and snatched the microphone from his hand.
“You gonna lay people off?”
Gasps went up around the room.
My goal was not to lay people off, but buying a company and making necessary updates sometimes involved personnel changes. It was the nature of business.
Before I could formulate a proper response, I was hit with a barrage of questions from all over the room.
“Do you feel as though you have a responsibility to the town?”
“Are you gonna take all your corporate profits outside of Maine? You should be investing locally.”
“What makes you think you can run a timber company?”
My eye began to twitch and my heart pounded in my ears. I was a seasoned pro, and I could handle questions, but the people here were so angry and suspicious, and most of this stuff was not any of their business.
But then, in my periphery, a solid wall of plaid moved straight at me.
My heart leaped, then bottomed out.
Gus.
Frowning, he walked slowly toward the podium. When he got close enough that I could feel his body heat, I stepped aside.
Angling forward, he spoke into the microphone. And if I wasn’t mistaken, the man was smiling . “That’s enough, Doug,” he said. “Ms. LeBlanc failed to mention that she and Strategic Timber have decades of experience working with local timber businesses. My entire family is delighted to have her and her team here.”
An older man in the back stood. “But—”
Gus held up his hand. “We all know it’s in the best interest of the town to preserve the timber industry. Maine timber, harvested by Maine workers, will always be the backbone of our regional economy. And Ms. LeBlanc is here to help us modernize and optimize.”
Grumbles went up around the room, and I found myself joining in. I could handle this; he didn’t have to swoop in here.
“I’m so impressed by her vision and credentials that I’ve agreed to stay on as operations manager and help her grow the company.” He stood up straight again and looked down at me.
I gave him a nod, then I turned and smiled at the crowd. It was integral to our success that I put on a united front now, even if I kind of wanted to punch him in the grumpy face.
“But what about the drugs?”
Gus leaned forward. “We are hardly the only rural community to be hit hard by the opioid epidemic. We will do everything we can, but this is a far larger problem than one timber company can solve.”
That seemed to quiet them. And I was begrudgingly impressed.
“Now, we have far more pressing matters to discuss.” He turned around and looked at the agenda projected onto the screen. “Earl, it seems, has filed another petition to ban motorboats on the lake on Sundays.”
Some man in the back, who I assumed was Earl, shot to his feet. “Your damn motors disturb the fish.”
Another man stood and shook his fist. “There are ponds, streams, and brooks all over the county that are great for fishing. Stop wasting our time.”
Others piped up from all over the room, weighing in on Earl’s proposal as Gus tugged on my elbow and led me away from the podium.
The whole way, I fought the urge to stomp on his foot with my stiletto. The way he’d butted in was bad enough, but his large, comforting presence was what really made me irate.
When we were outside the gymnasium, I yanked my arm back.
“I do not need to be rescued. You shouldn’t have interfered.”
He crossed his thick arms and glared down his nose at me. “I think you pronounced thank you wrong.”
“I’m not thanking you.” Huffing, I pulled my shoulders back. “You just undermined me in front of the town.” I sounded petulant, but I didn’t care. This was my company, dammit, and I could take the heat.
“I just stopped the pitchfork-wielding mob from coming after you.” He raised one eyebrow, smug.
I almost laughed. This entire situation was absurd, and yet I was itching for a fight. To yell and scream and stomp my feet. But I’d learned long ago that, as a woman, keeping my cool was the single most important thing I could do. So I pushed the rage down and bit the inside of my cheek.
“I didn’t realize they’d be so hostile,” I admitted.
Gus chuckled. “You should never have led with saying you were from Heartsborough.”
“Hey.” The Lovewell people had no right to judge me based on that. This place was freaking Beverly Hills compared to where I’d grown up. Snobs.
“This town is proud, and the people hate change. Trust me, they’ve treated my brothers and me way worse over the last couple of years. Hebert Timber is a stain on Lovewell and its pride. The chief of police has had it out for us, like we’re the reason my dad ran a successful drug trafficking ring under the asshole’s nose.”
My stomach knotted with concern, even as my interest piqued. “I guess that explains why he won’t meet with me.”
“Officially,” he mumbled. “Soon enough, he’ll show up at the office with a minor infraction or some half-baked excuse to poke around.”
Wonderful. Just what I needed, more law enforcement with their noses in my business, messing things up.
“But if you want to talk to him, the trick is to get him on his turf, where he can’t get away from you.”
I stood straighter and took a step closer, curious. “How do I do that?”
“The Moose.”
Moose? I frowned. What was he talking about?
“How are you at darts?” he asked.
“Terrible.”
“Even better. He hates to lose. I’ll help you.” He relaxed a fraction, his posture easing, and I got a hit of his scent. The pine tree and strong man combination that I definitely didn’t like at all. Nope. It was repulsive.
But despite how annoying good he smelled, his idea was a good one. I wouldn’t let the officials in town ignore me just because they could and then mess things up when I wasn’t expecting it. I would make them meet me on my terms.
“And the mayor?” I asked.
He ran his hands through his thick, dark hair. “That one’s easy. The diner. He eats breakfast there almost every day. He’s usually with his cronies and hates to look bad. You can corner him and bust his balls in front of his poker buddies. He’ll do whatever you want.”
A rush of gratitude flowed through me. After fumbling around in the dark for the past week, suddenly, the lights had been turned on.
Moved by his kindness, I touched his arm. Instantly, I realized I’d made a big mistake. A massive mistake. His forearm was thick and warm and had a dusting of dark hair.
My fingertips tingled, but I pushed the sensation away.
“Thank you,” I said.
I hated that I needed his help. That I was floundering so badly he had to come to my rescue. But this job was way more complex than I’d anticipated, and I needed a solid plan.
“I want to help,” he said, his voice low, his tone deep, as he angled in just close enough for the gold flecks in his blue eyes to distract me. “People are afraid of me.” He shrugged. “Comes in handy sometimes.”
No shit people were afraid. And I was one of them. Though not for obvious reasons. No, I was terrified because Gus was defying my carefully crafted low expectations. He was smarter, kinder, more thoughtful, and more strategic than I’d given him credit for. And he could do some real damage if I let him.
“Getting the company back on track will be a lot easier if we work together,” he said.
He wasn’t wrong, but I didn’t want to need him. And there was no way in hell I’d admit to him that I was in over my head.
Behind him, the doors to the gymnasium opened, and people filed out.
I leaned forward, and his eyes flared. His chest rose and fell, and the air between us sparked with tension. We did not get along, and we had nothing in common. It had been a mistake to think that I could work with him.
“I work alone,” I said, affecting an authoritative tone.
As a slow grin spread across his face, he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.
My entire body froze, and my lungs seized at the contact.
His rough fingers ghosted over my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. “We’ll see about that, Dragonfly.”
And then he was gone, off into the crowd, leaving me confused and, for some inexplicable reason, breathless.